The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-11-27


We publish elsewhere a letter presenting d
new view OF JOHN Brown, or a view which
seems new In these days, though It was
taken by many conservative and sensible
men of this country at the time OF his mad
attempt to wage war against slavery on his
own account.
The letter, 1t must be understood, Is not
written by one Of the old apologlsts for
slavery, but by a man who from first to last
was a bitter opponent OF slavery, and who
was greatly instrumental in bringing
about its exclusion from Kansas. As
early as 1854, when Mr.. ELI THAYER
WINS Representative in the Massachusetts,
Legislature from the town Of Worcester, the
historic centre of the an~ti-slavery agitation,
he conceived the plan OF frustrating the pur-
pose of tie repeal OF the Missouri Com
promise by encouraging and assisting emil
grafton TO Kansas from the free States OF the
North. His scheme was to fill up the Ter
ritory with settlers who would vote ITO save
Kansas to freedom" and for years he gave
himself up to Jealous and self-sacrl1cing ef-
forts to carry it into successful execution.
Mr.. THAYER therefore sympathized with
JOHN BROWN in his detestation Of slavery
and dread OF Its advancing political power,
and yet he classes him with JOHN MOST and
with the Anarchists so justly hanged at Chi
cago the other day. Instead Of having been
the great moral hero" his admirers Of this
timo would make him, Mr.. THAYER, who
speaks from intimate personal Knowledge Of
the mar and his career in Kansas, describes
JOHN BROWN as "felon or a fend," a
Ur,blor n,,rlo,.or and froitpr md Oiyao
instances OF his conduct in Kansas inc in
Virginiat 10 justify the truth OF the description.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN, In his famous speech
at Cooper Institute in February, 1860,
a few months before his first nomi-
nation for the Presidency, agreed with
Mr.. THAYER in ranking JOHN BROWN
with the monomaniacs who resort to assas-
s~ination for the cure OF what seem to them
social and political evils. "ORs1NIs at
tempt on LOUIS NAPOLEON and JOHN
Browns attempt Mt Harper's Ferry" said
LINCOLN, "were, In their philosophy, the
same;' and he further described the Har-
per's Ferry affair rs $50 absurd that the
slaves in all their ignorance saw plainly
enough it could not succeed" These words,
too, were uttered in the February after the
udIlSlllB VI JOhN u Sildl iSoOoNh III
Virginia, on the I'd Of December, 1859, and
they expressed q sentiment so general at the
North that the great Republican leader felt
it necessary to speak them SO emphatically,
At that time the Abolitionists, always a
small anda detested body OF fanatics, had
reached the firm conclusion hat their only
hope lay in the dissolution Of the Union.
They were out-and-out disunionists, tramp
ling on the Constitution at their meetings as
"a league with death and a covenant with
hell" and declaring that " there was no issue
Of any Importance except the dissolution OF
the Union" For that reason they did all
they could to back MI. THAYER's efforts to
make Kansas q free State. They wanted to
see slavery so far extended that the North
would be forced into dis%unionism as q
measure OF revenge and self-protection, and
the war Of secession would be started by
the North rather than the South. Therefore
they were quick to make Of JOHN BROWN
martyr to their cause, In the hope Of in.
flaming the hostility between the two parts
of the Union. But LINCOLN and the Repub.
lican party refused to accept their hero, and
were consequently ever more bitterly as
sailed than before by the Abolitionists as &C
cessories and partners in the great crime
q slavery"
These are doubtless the facts of history
and Mr.. THAIER does the public a ser
vice in calling attention to them at a time
when the Anarchists are attempting tc
Justify their savagery by pointing to JOIN
Brown as a great moral hero, whose memory
Is revered by his countrymen and honored
by the whole world.